Edinburgh 'ghost' photographed on tour of Lauriston Castle by Edinburgh couple

Spooky sighting only spotted after couple returned home to Corstorphine

An Edinburgh couple made a spooky discovery during a recent tour of 16th century Lauriston Castle at Davidson’s Mains.

Stewart Ross, 31, and his fiancée Bianka Horel, 31, were at the attraction for a guided tour on Sunday morning at around 11am when they took a photo in the servants’ kitchen area of Lauriston Castle. But when they looked back at the image, they were shocked to see what looked like a ghostly figure.

Stewart revealed that it was his dad who noticed the spooky image in a photo they captured at the castle. He said: “I thought it was an unusual thing to see. We were halfway round the tour and the tour guide had mentioned sightings and hauntings and that there is evidence of spooky goings-on there.

The couple took this photo, which they think possibly shows a mother and child, while on a tour of Lauriston Castle in Edinburgh. Photo by Bianka Horel/ Stewart Ross.

"I didn’t feel anything at the time the photo was taken. But looking at the photo it looks like a young woman leaning or a woman holding a baby. It was actually my dad that noticed the ‘ghost’ in this picture that Bianka took on my phone.

"I sort of dismissed it right away, I have never really believed in ghosts before. I was a security guard for a few years, wandering around places at night, but not once have I felt or seen anything. But looking at the photo closely it was actually like a magic eye photo, you can’t see at first then suddenly it’s there. There was no smoke or shadow noticable at the time, but there is in the photo.”

Stewart believes the ghost may be Sophia, wife of Andrew, Lord Rutherford, who passed after writing her husband a letter to be delivered only after her death. There have been sightings of Sophia at the Edinburgh castle in the past, with staff there previously reporting hearing footsteps when no one is present, and the sound of silk skirts rustling.

He said: "I read about Sophia, it could well be her. I’m curious to find out about more sightings at Lauriston Castle. This photo could have been a maid or somebody else in the servants’ kitchen. I’m definitely interested to find out more.

"It’s not really something I have been interested in or believed in before, it’s just a really interesting photo. I’m not looking for these kinds of things but we found it. It’s an unusual photograph, there’s no doubt about that.”

A spokesperson for Lauriston Castle put forward a more plausible reason for the ghostly photograph. She said: “We had a lovely event in partnership with Edinburgh Living History on Sunday where we were recreating old photographs, during which the castle felt very atmospheric, especially with all our living history volunteers in costume. We have silverware on a dresser in the butler’s pantry which can catch the light like this when taking photographs.”